It turns out these payments are the result of the settlement of a class-action lawsuit regarding the improper disclosure of credit card foreign transaction fees and the artificial inflation of exchange rates. Although the deadline has passed to claim your portion of the settlement, it’s not too late to learn about foreign transaction fees and how to avoid them…

What’s a foreign transaction fee?

This is a fee charged on a credit purchase processed outside the United States. It’s not a currency conversion fee, since it applies even when overseas transactions are conducting in U.S. dollars.

These fees can even apply to transactions made from home – but processed by a foreign merchant such as an overseas airline. When these fees apply, they’re usually between 2 and 3 percent of the purchase price. Since credit card issuers receive the most favorable interbank exchange rates, the courts have held that these fees are nearly pure profit for the task of performing simple arithmetic.

Steering clear of these fees

Although the authors of the CARD Act of 2009 chose not to regulate or eliminate these fees, the free market is finally starting to. As consumers learn about these unnecessary charges, more products are waiving this fee – and more banks are eliminating it on all of their cards.

Therefore, the easiest way to avoid these fees is to use one from the growing list of cards that are fee-free. Capital One deserves credit for being the first major bank to eliminate these fees on all of their cards. This year, PenFed and Discover also removed foreign transaction fees from all of their cards. Chase eliminated these fees on many of its cards marketed to travelers such as their British Airways and Sapphire Preferred cards.

American Express waives this charge for its Platinum Card holders – but it still charges a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee on its lesser products.

Other tips

1. Watch out for foreign processors. Be extra-careful placing orders from overseas companies, since these charges could apply to goods and services purchased from home. If in doubt, use a fee-free card if you have one.

2. Ask for a waiver. If you do get stuck with foreign transaction fees after your next trip over the border, you might be able to have them forgiven. As with most fees, cardholders in good standing are often successful when they simply call their bank to ask for the fees to be waived. Your bank may be surprisingly willing to do so, since it didn’t incur any direct cost – and it wants to keep you from moving your business to a competitor.

3. Never use your credit card to withdraw cash. Foreign transaction fees are onerous, but they pale in comparison to the costs of cash withdrawals. These transactions usually incur a cash advance fee, and a higher interest rate is applied immediately with no grace period. Worse, even cash advances are often subject to the same foreign transaction fees as purchases!

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Subway offers a selection of footlong sub sandwiches for $4.99. That's $1 under last January's footlong offer, although that was good on all sandwiches. You can choose black forest ham, meatball marinara, spicy Italian, cold cut combo, or veggie delite.

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Updated: January 2, 2018

As part of a class action lawsuit settlement, customers who purchased certain Roundup Weed & Grass Killer Concentrate Plus or Super Concentrate may be entitled to cash compensation. The suit alleged that these concentrated products were advertised to make more spray solution than they actually did. Eligible customers can receive a refund of up to 50% of the weighted average retail price for these products and are limited to 20 claims per household. (The actual amount will depend on the total numbers of claims from all customers.) Click here for more information. Claims must be submitted by March 6.

Note: To qualify for a claim in your state, you must have purchased these products after the dates listed here. (While most dates are April 5, the qualifying year varies by state.)

HP has announced a voluntary recall of select HP laptop batteries due to an overheating defect that could result in a fire or burn hazard to customers. For affected customers, HP is providing battery replacement services by an authorized technician for free. (For some models, the battery is built-in and cannot be removed by the customer.)

For a list of laptop models that may be affected, scroll down to the bottom of the page at this link. Then, if you have one of these models, download this validation tool to see if you need to replace your battery. (Not all batteries have the defect and require replacement.)

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Updated: January 5, 2018

Chobani offers your choice of Chobani Greek Yogurt Product for free via a printable coupon. (You must enter your email address and ZIP code to print the coupon.) It's by far the best offer we've seen from Chobani. Eligible items for this promotion include Chobani 5.3-oz. Greek Yogurt, Chobani Flip 5.3-oz. Yogurt, Chobani 10-oz. Drink, and Chobani Smooth Yogurt Drink 2-Pack. The coupon must be redeemed by March 4. If you live in NJ or LA, you'll instead receive a 50 cents off coupon. Other conditions apply.

13 Deals offers the Energizer Automatic Slim LED Nightlights 2-Pack for $6.46. Coupon code "ENERGIZER1218" cuts the price to $3.49. With free shipping, that's tied with our mention from a week ago and the lowest price we could find by $10. They are sensor activated and measure 4.5" x 2" x 1.5".

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Updated: January 12, 2018

H&M takes up to 80% off a selection of new arrival apparel, shoes, accessories, and home items. (Prices are as marked.) Shipping adds $5.99, but orders of $40 or more receive free shipping via coupon code "0040". Kids' items start at $1.99, men's shirts at $2.99, and women's dresses at $3.99.

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Updated: 1 week 5 days ago

Macy's cuts up to 85% off a selection of men's suits and suit separates, with prices starting at $26.96. Plus, get an extra 20% off select styles via coupon code "BIG". (Eligible items are marked.) Pad your order with a beauty item (they start at $3) to bag free shipping; otherwise, shipping adds $10.95, or get free shipping with orders of $99 or more. Among the discounted brands are Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Michael Kors. Deal ends February 25.

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Updated: January 31, 2018

Nordstrom takes up to 40% off a selection of apparel, shoes, and home items during its Winter Clearance Sale. (Prices are as marked. Although the banner says up to 40% off, we found deeper discounts within.) Plus, all orders receive free shipping. Size and availability for some items is limited. Sale ends February 25.

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Updated: January 29, 2018

That Daily Deal offers access to its February Extreme Stupid Good Deals for free. That's a $5 savings and tied with our November mention as the best deal we could find. Through February 28, you'll receive access to exclusive rapid-fire deals, and everything you order during this time will be shipped together. Note: Although this is a free offer, you will need to enter credit card information to get this deal.

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Roxy via eBay offers the Roxy Women's Whole Hearted Long Sleeve Rashguard in several colors (Dusk pictured) for $13.98 with free shipping. That's the lowest price we could find by $6, although most stores charge over $30. It's available in sizes XS to XL.

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Macy's discounts a selection of women's leggings and sweatpants, with prices starting from $4.96. Pad your order with a beauty item (they start at $3) to bag free shipping; otherwise, shipping adds $10.95. A couple of best bets:

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Redbox offers a coupon code good for a 1-night Blu-ray, DVD, or video game rental for free when you text "Valpak" to 727272. (It can be used online or at Redbox locations.) That's the best Redbox coupon we've seen since July. (Most free coupons only apply to DVDs and take just $1.50 off other items.) The coupon code you'll receive expires February 28.